Perpetual ledger.



No. 660,432. Patented 0st. 23, |900.

0. v. HENKEL. PERPETUAL LEDGER.

(Application filed Oct. 23, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 shuts-sheet l.

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Nn.l 660,432. Patented Oct. 23, |900.`

C. V. HENKEL.

Pl-:nPlaTuALA LEDGER.

(Application led Oct. 28, 1 899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

W/ TNE SSE S UNITED STATES' :PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES V. HENKEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PERPE-TUAL LEDGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,432, dated, October 23, 1900.

a Application filed October 23. 1899. Serial No. 7345487. r(No model.)

T0 ill whom it may concern,.-

,Be it known that I, CHARLES V. HENKEL, of the city of New York, borough o f Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Perpetual Ledgers, of which the following is fa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a perpetual ledger of that class in which two clamping-sections are arranged to move toward and from each other and are provided with pins for holding the pages forming the ledger, which pins are formed in sections sliding on each other as the clamping-sections move.

This specification is the disclosure of several forms of my invention, while the claims` dene the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front view of the ledger thrown open, with parts broken away. Fig. 2-is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 -is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an exterior View of the key-hole plate,the View indicating by dotted lines the movement of the bolt. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the covers with parts in section. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the ferrules used on the cover. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10Ais a crosssection of one of the sectional pins, and Fig. 11 is la cross-section illustrating a modification.

The ledger has a back or body portion 10,l

which is formed of a sheet of material with laterally-turned end pieces 11 and which is bent transversely at' the back proper to form a number of channels 12, disposed transversely and extending entirely across the back or body. These channels serve not only to strengthen the back or body 10, but they also form guideways in which are received the ribs 14 of the clamping-sections which project from the rear surfaces. ends of the extensions 11 are turned inwardly to form flanges 16, embracing portions of the clamping-sections, as Will be hereinafter described.l Each clamping-section comprises a Fig.`3 is a The outer.

the rear edges of the inner side plates 15b, and

the outer side plates 15il are made tooverlap the outer edges of the plates 15. If desired, the parts l5 and15b of each clampingsection may be constructed integral. The parts 15a, 15", and 15c are securely fastened together by bolts 15d, and the inner side plates 15b arel further fastened to the backbone or strengthing-bar 15e by means of screws 15G, as shown.

`By means of this construction the parts may be effectively and conveniently bound.

In assembling the parts of the clampingsections the outer side plates 15a are first bound with a covering of leather or other substance and thenfastened to the parts l5c and v `15In by the bolts l5l. After ,this the inner side plates 15b are bound so as to cover the heads ofthe bolts 15d and vhide the sanne. The ends of the back platesl are turned laterally to form extensions 17, which lie inside 'of `the `extensions ll of thev back or body of the ledger and are embraced by the Hangesl 16, before described. The clam ping-sections being thus constructed and mounted on the back or body of the ledger are movable toward and from each other to engage andI disengage the leaves. It will be seen that any number of leaves may be inserted `and that the clamping-sections may be adjusted according to the number of leaves in the book.

For the purpose of steadying the clampingsect-ions in their movement onthe back or body I provide two transversely f disposed guide-plates 21, which overhang the back plates 15 of the clamping-sections and are held rigidly in connection with the bjody 10 by means of pins 22 or the like, which are fastened to the guide-plate and to the body. For the purpose of causing the two clampingsections to move in unison I provide each section with one or more pivotally-connected llinks 23, which links are connected in pairs to levers 24, fulcrumed on the back or body Y 10. The clamping-sections thus connected leaves, the pins being adapted to pass through orifices in the leaves, as ordinarily, and be: ing formed in two slidably-conn'ected sections 25 and 26. As shown in Fig. 10, these sections are joined to slide by constructing the section 25 with undercut or dovetail grooves u. therein, in which grooves slide dovetail prongs b, composing the section 26. The sections 25 and 26 of the pins are respectivel y attached to the backbones or framebars l5c of the clam ping-sections, the pin-sections being extended through the inner side plates 15b of the clamping'sections, as showin best in Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that the section 25 is formed of a bar with the dovetail grooves a produced longitudinally therein and that the section 26 is composed of the three prongs 1J, as shown. prongs and grooves is not essential, as will be obvious. By this arrangement, therefore, the pin-sections are connected to slide and form a continuous pin running between the clampingsections. No matter what position these clamping-sections occupy the pins always present a uniform diameter to the leaves of the ledger, thus holding the leaves snugly and properlyin place.

Itis necessary to lock the clamping-sections in closed position, so that persons may not surreptitiously remove the leaves from the ledger. This is accomplished (see Fig. 4)y by means of two tubes 27 and 2S, which are rig"- idly fastened to the clamping-sections. As shown, these tubes are formed integral with the frame-bars 15 of the clamping-sections', being projected through openings in the inner side plates 15b. `The tubes 27 and'28 are arranged to telescope the one within the other. The tube 27, being that which passes into the tube 2S, has fastened' therein a head 29, provided with two spring prongs 30. These spring-prongs engage with a bolt or bar 3l', which is essentially rectangular in cross-section (see Fig. 5) and which has two of its opposite faces formed with ratchet-teeth and adapted to be engaged by the spring-prongs 30. The remaining opposite faces of the bolt are plane, so that should the bar be turned` to engage said plane faces with the springprongs the bar will be permitted to move freely past the prongs. The disposition of the ratchet-teethon` the bolt or bar3l is such that the bolt may be moved inward notwithstanding that the prongs 30 are engaged with the ratchet-teeth, but these teeth will prevent the bolt from being drawn outward; unless, of course, the bolt is turned to disengage the ratchet-teeth from the spring-prongs. The bolt 3l is carried by the clamping-section to which the sleeve 28 is attached, and the bolt is provided with a circular head 32, mounted,r toturn in the clamping-section and formed withia central guide-inger-33, projecting outward, and with openings 34 for the Wards of the keys to be used for the purpose of turning the bolt 3l to adjust the position of` the ratchetteeth with respect to the spring- The number of' ,nently retain their form.

prongs. This head 32 is embedded in the' side clamping-sections and is held in placev i 3T, (see the dotted lines in Fig. 6,) which pin is arranged to project into a segmental slot 38 formed in the head.

A ledger thus 'constructed is especially adapted for use inconnection with th'eledgerleaves shown in Figs. 3, 9, and l0. It should be understood that in connection with these perpetual ledgers there are employedledgerleaves which are freely interchangeable, permittingasingle binder to be used indefinitely by removing the leaves when they are full of accounts. Now this leaf 39 is provided atits inner portions with openings to receive the several parts 25, 26, 27, and 28. Outward of the openings in which these parts are received the leaves 39 are formed with permanent corrugations 40, such corrugations extending longitudinally with the binder and vertically with respect tothe ledger-page. These corrugations are form ed without anglllar creases,

thus preventing the breaking of the fiber of the paper, but are so produced as to perina- Should the fiber of the papel' be broken bythe formation of the corrugations the page will soon tear at the crease and therefore be destroyed. The leaves thus constructed when placed in the ledger all lieintermeshed at the corrugations. By making the corrugations rounding, as shown, thus avoiding a creaseof any sort, I cause the leaves to lie open flat against the back or covers of the binder and at the same timeprevent the shortening of" the life ol' the leaf; Reference to Figs. 9 and lO will show that by these corrugations the ledgers open like a well-bound book and that the leaves 39 lie flat` against the covers. The covers 41, as shown in the first nine figures, have their ine ner portions formed with round or roller-like edges 42, which are seated to roll inA correspondinglvformed cavities produced in the inner side plates l5h of the clamping-sections, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 9. Each end of each roller-like edge 42 is covered with asplit ferrule43. (See Fig. 7.) This ferrule is received on a reduced portion of the edge 42 and serves to hold in place the pins 44," which project beyond the edges and serve as pintles for mounting the covers in bearings 45,` attached, to the ends of the clamping-sections. By this construction the covers are arrangedto swing freely to open` or closed position, and at the same time they are mounted upon the clamping-sections in a durable and practically indestructible manner.

Fig. 11 illustrates a modiied arrangement for the covers 41. According to this construction the covers are attached tothe clamp- S'GASQ 3 ing-sections 'by sections ot' canvas 46 or like flexible material, such canvas being fastened between the outer side plate 15L and the frame-bar 15, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a perpetual ledger, the combination of a back or body portion, clamping-sections rmounted to slide thereon toward and from each other by direct hand-pressure on the sections, a lever mounted on a constant fulcrum on the back or body portion, and links pivotally connected with the respective ends of the lever and with the respective clamping-sections whereby the movement of one section imparts a like movement to the other..

2. In a perpetual ledger, the combination of a back or body portion formed of a strip of material bent transversely to form channels therein extending throughout its Width, and clamping-sections mounted on the back or body portion and formed with ribs on their rear surfaces, the ribs sliding in the channels.

3. In a perpetual ledger, the combination with two clamping sections, oi telescopic tubes respectively secured thereto, a head carried rigidly in the inner tube, aspring-prong attached to such head, and a bolt or bar attached to one ot' the clamping-sections, and engaged by the spring-prong, and having a plane side and a side with ratchet-teeth, the bolt or bar being mounted to turn.` v

4. In a perpetual ledger, the combination with two clamping sections, of telescopic tubes respectively secured thereto, a springprong held by one tube, and a bolt or bar held by one of the clamping-sections and capable of turning thereon, the bolt or bar having a plane side and a side with ratchet-teeth and being engaged by the spring-prong.

5. In a perpetual ledger, the combination with two clamping-sections, of tubes secured tothe clamping-sections and sliding one in the other, a spring-prong secured to the inner surface of the inner tube, and a bolt or bar secured to the clamping-section carrying the outer tube and projecting into the said tubes, the said bolt or bar having two plane sides and two sides with ratchet-teeth with which the said spring-prongs engage, substantially as described.

6. Aleaf for perpetual ledgers, the leaf hav` ing an inner portion adapted to be engaged by the ledger, an outer portion forming the leaf proper and an intermediate portion formed with rounding corrugations produced permanently therein so that the leaves when superimposed, will lie intermeshed at the corrugations, for the purpose specified.

7 Aleaf for perpetual binders, the leaf having permanent corrugations formed thereon and disposed vertically with respect to the,

leaf so that the leaves when superimposed will lie intermeshed at the corrugations.

8. A perpetual ledger, having a clampingsection comprising an outer side plate, a backbone or frame-bar, and an inner side plate, the three elements being rigidly fastened together, and a filingpin extending through the inner side plate and fastened rigidly to the backbone or frame-bar.

9. In a perpetual ledger, the combination of a back or body portion formed of a strip of material bent transversely to form channels therein extending throughout its width, clamping-sections mounted on the back or body portion and formed with ribs on their rear surfaces, the ribs sliding in the channels, transversely-dis posed guide-plates bea-ring loosely on the inner faces of the clamping-sections, and pins attached to the guideplates and to the back or body portion at the channels Athereof to support the guide-plates rigidly on the back or body portion.

, CHARLES` v. HENKEL.

Witnesses:

I. B. OWENS, JNO. M. RITTER. 

